Elevator scoop or bucket



(No Model.)

W. WILSON. Elevatol Scoop or Bucket. Nq. 239,358. Patented March 29,1881.

Z05 Zine 0.268 I i [702/ er fiozz uffioivma ya UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WILSON, OF EARL, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR SCOOP O R BUCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,358, dated March 29, 1881. Application filed February 21, 1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WILSON, of the city of Earl,in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elevator Scoops or Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a scoop or bucket which may be applied to grainelevators, dredges, ditchers, or similar machines which require the elevation of different materials by a line or chain of buckets, and which will be certain and positive in the discharge of its contents, great difficulty being sometimes experienced in the elevation of wet or musty grain, or of dredged material in discharging the contents of the buckets, and even in the elevation of dry grain, it being found that the grain will not leave the buckets as ordinarily constructed when run above acertain speed.

The invention is shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a top view, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the bucket, which is ordinarily, and for many purposes necessarily, constructed of metal.

A is an oblong or square frame, the upper cross-piece of which is provided with a flange, a, extending nearly its entire length, and curved toward the front, so as to form a book, which engages thelower cross-piece of the next bucket or link, being most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Across this frame transversely and slightly above its center passes astrip, a, which forms the back of the bucket or scoop, and is of a width corresponding to the depth of the bucket. Attached to the lower edge of the strip a. is the piece I), which also extends transversely across the frame, and projects outwardly from its front rigidly, and at right angles with its plane, forming the bottom of the bucket. This piece may be formed of a solid plate or may consist of open frame-work.

The front of the bucket is formed of the coucave piece B, which is attached at its extremities to the end pieces,B B. The front of the bucket may be made with its edge either straight, as shown in the drawings,'or curved, as is best adapted to different uses. The end pieces,B, are quadrantal in form, and are pivoted at the point constitutiu g the center, from which the curved portion of their peripheries is described, to the outside of the frame A, so that when the bucket is in the position shown in the drawings the lower edge of the concave front of the bucket is adjacent to the outer edge of the bottom, as may be seen.

A second or supplemental bottom, 0, rests upon the bottom I), being hinged to it near its outer edge and free to vibrate upon the hinge c. This bottom may be formed of a solid plate, or may be in the form of a rake the crossbar of which is hinged, as described, and the teeth, which should be broad and flat, extending toward the back of the bucket. A wire or suitably-shaped piece of metal, 0, is rigidly attached to each end of the bottom 0, at its hinged edge, and extends downward from it, passing through the openings between the bottom b and the end pieces, B, formed by a notch in the former, as shown by the dotted lines at b in Fig. 3, forming levers by which the bottom 0 can be vibrated.

For ditching or dredging purposes the front of the bucket is provided with a cutting-edge, formed of steel, as shown at b.

In operation a requisite number of buckets are linked together, either with or without intervening links, forming an endless chain passing around rollers or wheels at the upper and lower ends of a shaft or supporting-frame. The revolution of the chain brings the buckets successively in contact with the material to be raised or excavated. The lower parts of the end pieces, B, are extended downward, and when the edge of the bucket comes in contact with the material to be operated upon, and is consequently subjected to pressure, the rear faces of the end pieces, B, are pressed against the periphery of the wheel or roller around which they are passing, the main" hearing being upon their lower extended portions, and the bucket is thus held rigidly in the required position. When the bucket has passed beyond the wheel or roller the bearingot' the back of 5 the bucket is against ways provided in the supporting frame or shaft, and it is thus maintained in position to hold and carry the contents. At the point where it is desired to discharge the contents of the bucket there is no bearingsurface for the end pieces, B, and consequently nothing except the weight of the contents to prevent the dropping of the front of the bucket by the vibration of the end pieces upon their pivots. At the sides of the supporting frame or shaft at this point are projections D, against which the upper sides of the end pieces of the bucket impinge, thus causing them to vibrate and the front of the bucket to drop, and as it drops it impinges upon the levers c, causing them and the bottom 0 to vibrate upon the hinge c, and thus raising the bottom, when it and the front and ends of the bucket assume the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the contents are thereby forced from the bucket.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An elevator scoop or bucket with a movable front pivoted to the back of the bucket, and capable of dropping below the bottom of the same to permit the discharge of the contents, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. An elevator scoop or bucket with the front and ends of the cup formed in one piece and made to vibrate upon the frame, so that they may remain in position to excavate and carry material, and the front drop below the bottom of the bucket to permit the discharge of the contents, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. An elevator scoop or bucket with vibrating front and end pieces, the end pieces being provided with downward. extensions below their pivotal connections, having bearing-surfaces to maintain the front of the bucket in position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the end pieces, B, the front B, and the hinged bottom 0, provided with the actuating-lever c; substantially as and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM WILSON.

Witnesses: v I

CHAS. M. SMITH, JOHN W. BELL. 

